Now that the clubs have spoken with their resounding vote in favor of the new United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) constitution, one could say with confidence that half the job is done.
Most of the fear that hovered over the cricket fraternity over the possibility of a ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been removed.
With the document now in place, it is only left for the stakeholders to apply the finishing touches – that of having the regional officials to elect the USACA executive.
Which in itself should be a cake walk compared to acquiring the two thirds majority vote of clubs, flung far and wide and still in various stages of maturation.
February 28, the set executive election date, may seem just around the corner, but when matched to the surprising swiftness of having the clubs vote, tells you all you need to expect for another well executed operation.
All the club representatives who participated in record numbers and the others who mobilized the vote deserve huge kudos for making a sterling contribution to United States cricket.
Not many it seems, want a return to the dark days of cricket doldrums where we have exiled ourselves for much too long in the past.
Surely a defeat for the constitution would’ve meant an instant banning by the world body because it would’ve required an act similar to Jesus’ biblical walk on water, to have a new one in place and have an election before March 1.
The new USACA structure requires a President, two Vice Presidents a Secretary and Treasurer, which seems good enough for an executive. It is not bloated nor opens itself up to serious duplication of duties. The fact that a seven-member Board will form the other half of the association makes it large enough.
The lone indiscretion however, seems to be the need for a Chief Executive Officer which is not necessary and which correctly has been placed on the back relative to identifying the holder.
There is no need for such a position when there is already a President because as has been proven, the positions amount to the same. In an ideal world, the President of any serious sports organization should be a full time employee, not mirroring the structure of the said ICC where it is not clear who actually heads the body.
Malcolm Speed, the longstanding CEO who is well paid, makes the decisions and is the de facto head while the others who show up every one in a while as President seem out of place.
The time spent holding on to a ceremonial position is a waste of that precious commodity and money too, for the amount spent for travel and other unnecessary activities.
We do not need that for America’s cricket as such waste cannot be afforded.
Whoever is the next USACA President should be a full time official, making decisions with assistance from the remainder of the executive and Board.
Maybe, correcting such an excess should be the first adjustment to the new constitution which makes provisions for such.
But before he place the cart before the horse, United States cricket’s immediate objective is having the executive in place by next week Wednesday.
When that is done we could think about anything else.
